


A Penny For Your Thoughts

by Measured



Category: How I Met Your Mother
Genre: Banter, F/M, Fluff, Kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-16 11:00:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29452704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Measured/pseuds/Measured
Summary: As Ted and Tracy spend a romantic weekend together, they reflect on the past--and the fact that Ted hadn't been married before.
Relationships: Tracy McConnell/Ted Mosby
Kudos: 6





	A Penny For Your Thoughts

**Author's Note:**

> [To the Man Who Let Her Go by Tyler Shaw really](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r33-nCl8ZmM) inspired me, okay.
> 
> Finale, what finale? We live in alternate finale town, okay. Said alternate finale ending is [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sWToXYaW0M) if you haven't seen it.
> 
> This is pre-marriage, but at a point where they were dating a while.

Ted felt that moment like he'd had a 'sandwich' from so much great sex. That sort of stoned feeling, languid and slightly sore. He weighed in his mind whether he'd tell this story to his future kids.

Maybe he'd edit it a lot. A _whole_ lot. He'd still have to figure out what sort of euphemism he'd coin for this one.

The dark navy covers kept them warm from the rainy day. And frankly, he sure was glad he did install that flat screen he'd gotten a great deal on during Black Friday.

(He'd considered leaving out screens, to focus on more reading. But watching his old favorite movies on a rainy day with the love of his life was a memory to be treasured.)

The rain set the perfect mood. Slightly cold, so snuggling felt great. He'd brought out every scented candle he had for ambiance. Because he could ambiance the hell out any romantic moment.

Tracy smiled as she returned from the kitchen. She wore only his dark green cable knit sweater, which was big enough to cover her hips. And very easy to push up. It was loose, so he could only guess (and remember) how her curves looked under it.

(Good thing this sweater wasn't dry clean only. Because he sure hoped this look made a come back. Maybe every Friday could be sweater only day.)

Her loose brown waves were pulled up into a messy bun that framed her face. Every time he looked at her, Ted fell in love all over again.

Ted got up from bed, just to embrace her from behind. It was a little chilly, with nothing but loose plaid pajama pants and socks, but it was still so, so, so, worth it.

"You look so hot. And so lost in thought," he said.

She glanced over her shoulder at him, and smiled.

"Why thank you, you look pretty good yourself with no shirt," she said.

"Shirtless because you took my shirt," Ted teased.

"You know the rules, Ted Mosby: When you get a girlfriend, you give up all your hoodies. And in your case, sweaters. Which is easy, because you have a ton of those. Fitting for a professor, I suppose. Isn't that right, Professor Mosby?"

"I live to please," Ted said.

Ted stepped away to his desk. He held up the rare penny that he'd found on the subway. He'd been real careful to encase it in a special box to keep it from deteriorating any more. 

"A penny for your thoughts?"

"I was just thinking how surprised I am that no one has wifed you up yet, Ted Mosby."

Ted couldn't help but laugh at this. " _Wifed_ me up?"

"You cooked me breakfast, after several rounds where may I remind you, you showed those oratory skills _down south._ You're like a unicorn, Ted. A sensitive man who can find the clitoris without a road map, and who will also go along with a movie marathon of every Meg Ryan romantic comedy from the 90s without acting like I held you hostage."

"Go along with? _Babe,_ I haven't been this excited since we saw those rare coins at the pawn shop."

"I know! It was _such_ a find. A penny from the 1800s. The historical value alone is amazing. And it matched the one you found on the subway. It even turned out to be real when we had it appraised."

And it was just another way they fit. His friends would laugh and scoff at his excitement about rare coins, or just encourage him to sell them--or use them as a ruse to hit on women, if it was Barney.

But Tracy _got_ it. There was so much about himself that he didn't have to excuse away or hide. It reminded him so much of the time when he'd accidentally went on a second blind date with the same person. How he'd thought what if he could have someone who liked him, faults and all.

And somehow, through this busy city filled with people, he managed to find that person.

"Technically, I did get left at the altar, and had a whole series of movies made about it, where I was villianzed in a way I think was a bit extreme, but who's counting?"

"Ah, The Wedding Bride trilogy. We should watch them together so you can tell me what really happened," Tracy said.

"I think I'd have to be pretty drunk for that," Ted said.

"We could turn it into a drinking game," she said.

He laughed. She always had the best ideas. 

"See, you say that, because of the journey I went through. Past Ted was a clingy bitch who listened to way too much Taylor Swift break up songs as he got broken up and cheated on again. Past Ted said 'I love you' on the first date. Past Ted was a douche. Present Ted? He has his moments, but he's still kind of a douche sometimes."

She laughed. "Now, now, I would say you're _reasonably_ non-douchey most of the time," Tracy said.

"Thank God for that," Ted said.

She gave him a loving look. "Maybe you just went for the wrong people. Because I would've sat right with you and listened to Red on repeat.

"You are the perfect woman."

Ted leaned in to kiss her. Every kiss with Tracy left him both filled with that pulse-pounding passion from the first time he saw her, and a calm and sureness in the knowledge that there would be more.

She climbed into bed, and he followed right after. The chilly feeling began to dissipate as they snuggled up together.

"Well, I'm glad that I didn't get--as you put-- _wifed_ up, because then I wouldn't be here. With the most beautiful woman I have ever met."

"I'm glad too."

What she didn't say, was there was someone who'd almost _wifed_ her. He'd never met Max, but from what he'd heard the guy had been great. And he had excellent taste.

(And Ted had sworn from the moment he learned, that he'd take good care of Tracy. For her, for Max, and most of all, for his own sake.)

Life was made up of little tragedies and missteps. If he and Robin hadn't met (and dated, and broken up) Barney never would've met Robin. And if Barney never met Robin, they never would've gotten married. And if they hadn't gotten married, he never would've met the love of his life.

Every sad moment had led up to this blissful happiness. He grew into a better person--someone who wouldn't ruin this beautiful moment by being too clingy, because of so many heartaches.

Because that's how life went sometimes. If he could've told his past self that all these lonely years were about to end with the most beautiful, amazing girl and that it would be so easy to fall in love with her, he wasn't sure that he would've believed it. 

But it had been worth it. Every break up, every single one.

They had nothing but the whole weekend together. Marshall and Lily had some home project they were working on. Barney and Robin had revamped his blog and somehow made Robin's news career reach heights she couldn't even have fathomed. Barney was always was surprising them like that.

This time, he wasn't sitting lonely in a bar, debating whether to go to Robots vs Wrestlers alone. This time, he wasn't alone at all.

"So, Professor Mosby. I believe we have many hours to fill in this weekend. Want to watch Sleepless in Seattle again?" Tracy said.

"God, you have no idea how long I have wanted to hear those words," Ted said.

He leaned in to kiss her again.


End file.
